


stockings are hung with care

by brahe



Series: brahe's 2017 advent bingo [10]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Family, Fluff, Gen, Stockings, ac2017, adventchallenge, fireplace, peters totally a part of the family whether or not he wanted to be an avenger, team holiday party, tony keeps thinking of more ways to adopt peter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 10:20:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12981966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brahe/pseuds/brahe
Summary: Tony and Peter at the Avengers holiday party.





	stockings are hung with care

**Author's Note:**

> this one kinda feels a little rushed but it's hard to get these done in time  
> anyway, I love writing about my son peter parker. Lowkey inspired by the scene in im3 with all the stockings on the fireplace.  
> Sidenote, none of my stories have betas, but I feel like this one could have more errors than usual but I'm too tired to look over it rn  
> For the "fireplace" spot on my bingo card! Title from cold december night by michael buble

"We're doing a Christmas thing," Tony says over their biweekly lunch. Today it's a local Italian place Peter's walked by before but never stopped in before. Tony takes another bite of his sandwich, swallows. "Upstate. Just some of the guys, food and stuff. Bring your aunt, and your friend if you want." 

Peter's eyes go wide. "Really? You mean it?"

"'Course I mean it," Tony tells him, huffs a little. "It's a team party, and you're on the team."

Peter's cheer brings all eyes back to their table ( _again_ , walking in had been a nightmare) and he smiles sheepishly at his sandwich.

"Pepper will send you the dates," Tony says decisively. Peter grins.

" _Mrs. Stark_ ," he says, and there's definitely a bit of a blush on Tony's cheeks. Tony kicks Peter's shin under the table.

"Shut up," he says, but he only sounds fond, and Peter goes back to his sandwich with a warm, happy feeling in his chest.

 

He ambushes Ned at his locker the next day. "You and me. Christmas party. Upstate," he says, dropping the pitch a little and wiggling his eyebrows. Ned looks at him in confusion for a moment, until, 

"No _way_ , dude. Dude!"

Peter shushes him, glancing around. "He said I could invite you, so how about it?" 

"Is that even a question?" Ned answers, grin as wide as Peter's ever seen. "Hell yeah!"

"Okay sweet," Peter smiles too, hikes his backpack further up. "It's next Friday night, and Mr. Stark said we can stay the night, so just tell your mom you're sleeping over. Aunt May's coming too so she can vouch for it."

Ned closes his locker, still smiling. "I can't believe I'm going to a holiday party with the _Avengers_!" he says, and Peter laughs.

"Keep it down," he says, but he's smiling too. It's taken a while to get to this point, but Peter's finally reached the place where instead of keeping secrets from those he cares about, he has their full understanding and support. Instead of sneaking back into the house after patrol, May's waiting for him with dinner and questions. When he's out in the suit and runs into trouble, Ned's only a phone call away. It's a pretty good feeling.

 

The week flies by, and Friday afternoon finds them in Peter's kitchen, munching on some snacks May left out for them as she packed a bag. Ned tossed a grape into his mouth.

"The actual Avengers facility," he says, and Peter laughs.

"Yes, Ned. For the third time, we're going to the actual Avengers facility."

"I know, I know. It's just - sometimes I forget you're an actual superhero, you know?"

"Oh, great, thanks!"

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Ned raises his hands in surrender when Peter chucks a handful of grapes at him, but they're both laughing. "I just mean, you're still you, you know? You're still Peter and we still go to band practice and build Lego sets and it's easy to forget that you're hanging out with the _Avengers_ in your free time."

Peter hums. "So do I, sometimes," he admits with a shrug. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes he forgets that's he's the Spider-Man, part time superhero with an extra sense who can stick to walls.

Aunt May's back, then, bag over her shoulder. "You kiddos ready to go?" she asks, and Ned holds up his bag in response.

"I've been ready for a week. Oh, also, I made a playlist for the drive." 

"You didn't!" 

"You bet I did. It's a four hour drive, what else are we supposed to listen to?"

 

Pulling up to the facility is a great as he remembers. Peter leans forward, peers out the windshield at the giant _A_ on the side of the building and reminds himself (again) that this is really his life.

"Oh my goddddd," Ned whispers in the back seat, face against the window. "I just want to thank you for being my best friend and letting me partake in this with you," Ned says, and Peter laughs.

"No body else I'd rather have," he says, means every word. Ned is the greatest friend he could have ever asked for.

Tony meets them in the driveway. "The Parkers have final arrived," he says, gives them a grin. Peter goes in for a hug (he's been training Tony), and Aunt May gets a kiss on the cheek. Ned stares.

"Tony Stark," he says, then clears his throat and shakes his head, holds out a hand for a handshake. "Pleasure to meet you. Sir."

"Please," Tony scoffs, shakes Ned's hand. "Call me Tony. C'mon, I'll show you you're rooms. Everyone's not due for another hour or so."

 

That doesn't mean the facility is empty, though. They pass Wanda and Vision on their way down one hallway, and Peter catches sight of Sam in another. He 'met' most of them during the ordeal with the Accords, and afterwards tried his best to learn their names, get to know them a little better. He came in at a rough patch, he knows, and he's been a little afraid to ask about everyone, considering how things went. He wonders if Steve will show up tonight, but doesn't dare ask.

"Here we are," Tony says, and the door opens to reveal a room Peter knows instantly was designed for him. There's a set of bunk beds on the far wall, and a huge computer desk on the opposite side. The ceiling is pretty high, but not unreachable, and he's fairly certain there'll be a super suit in the closet. "And there's a connecting room next door for May."

 

It's kind of surreal, sitting in the living room of the Avengers facility. Knowing that the Avengers facility even _has_  a living room. No matter how many times he's here, Peter doubts he'll ever be blasé about it.

Scott shows up next, with a woman named Hope in tow, and Peter isn't sure what she does, but she looks pretty badass. Ned leans over to him.

"Who's that?" he asks.

"Ant-Man," Peter tells him. "And I don't know what she does."

After him comes Clint and Natasha, although Peter's not sure if they came from somewhere on the grounds or off it. Natasha offers a smile, and he waves in return.

"You just waved at Black Widow," Ned says.

"I know!" 

"You're both spider themed!"

"I _know_!"

 

Food's up, then, and the gathering crowd spreads out between the kitchen and the living room. Peter's in the latter, surveying the room from a spot by the fireplace.

"So," Tony says, coming up beside him. "First party? You're usually supposed to mingle with the other people."

Peter chuckles. "Not quite," he says, although it's a close thing. He doesn't get invited out often.

"Hey," Tony says, and Peter turns his attention to him. "I got something for you."

"Oh, Mr. Stark, I didn't -" 

"Just shut up and open it," Tony says, handing over a small, wrapped thing. Peter pulls away the paper to reveal fabric, and he unfolds it carefully.

"It's a stocking," he says, realizing. _Peter_ is written at the top in cut-out felt letters, and the sock itself is a red and blue combo reminiscent of his suit.

"For the mantle," Tony says, and Peter looks to the fireplace, really notices the stockings there for the first time. There's at least a dozen, each one looking as handmade as the rest, each with the name of a team member. "You should have one."

Peter looks between the mantle and Tony and the stocking in his hand, at a loss for words. Tony watches him for a moment, huffs.

"Well, come on, then," he says, gesturing to an empty hook at the end of the line. He finds the little loop at the top of his and hangs it gently on the hook, smooths his hand down the front before he steps away and looks at it, his name hanging next to so many great others. 

"I'm not sure what to say," Peter admits, suddenly feeling rather emotional. He can hear the way it thickens in his voice. 

"'Thank you' is fine," Tony says, but he throws an arm over Peter's shoulder, smiling. Peter completes the motion, wrapping Tony in a hug. Tony pats at his back a little awkwardly, but he expected nothing less.

"Thank you," Peter says, muffled in Tony's suit jacket and full of meaning, and he feels the light shaking of Tony's chest as he laughs softly, imagines the smile on his face as genuine as the one Peter's pressing into his shirt. 

**Author's Note:**

> sidenote, for those of you following between ten and twenty, I'm working on the third part of that and it will be posted eventually!!


End file.
